I was happy to read about the recent City Hall executive order on ethics and contracts, which makes information on city contracts and leases available to the public at the Municipal Reference Library and through the Internet (www.ci.chi.il.us). It is about time that taxpayers had access to this type of information.
But why stop here? Shouldn’t other agencies funded by taxpayers be required to make the same disclosures? Don’t the taxpayers who are footing the bill have a right to see where their tax dollars are being spent?
The Chicago Board of Education budget should also be available on the Internet. It is supposed to be public information, but it is not easily available. The Board of Education is one of the major taxing agencies and one of the largest employers in the state. The board has an information service called Project Inform, which makes the 1995-96 budget available. What good is that? Any taxpayer in Chicago should be able to access information about the current budget, contracts and leases. City Hall has set the example. Pershing Road should follow.
